Kevin (Dasher) Wheatley

Kevin 'Dasher' Wheatley was the first Australian to be awarded a Victoria Cross (VC) in the Vietnam War. Kevin's bravery was posthumously recognised after he was killed while staying with a seriously wounded comrade.

In 2024, Kevin was posthumously awarded the Medal for Gallantry for acts of gallantry while serving as an advisor and assistant advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam during 1965.

Early life

Kevin was born in Surry Hills, Sydney on 13 March 1937. He was the third child of Raymond Wheatley and his wife Ivy Newman. His father, Raymond, was a cleaner and labourer who served as a gunner with the 2/9th Army Field Regiment during World War II.

Kevin was a keen rugby player and earnt himself the nickname 'Dasher' on the field. He attended Maroubra Junction Junior Technical School. At 17, he married Edna Davis. The couple met when Kevin delivered milk to the milk bar where Edna worked. They had 4 children together: George, Phyllis, Ellen and Leanne.

Army service

Kevin joined the Australian Army in June 1956. He served with different units including:

• 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (4RAR)
• 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR)
• 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR)
• 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR)
• Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV).

Between September 1957 and July 1959, Kevin served in the Malayan Emergency.

In January 1964, he was promoted to sergeant and became platoon sergeant of 6th Platoon, B Company. One of his young soldiers, David Munday, recalled that Wheatley 'was an extraordinary man’s man … He just had a way with the guys and when he walked into a room, his presence drew your attention.'

Kevin was promoted to Warrant Officer Class 2 in August 1964.

In March 1965, Kevin joined the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV). He worked with an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) unit in Quang Tri until October 1965. He was then transferred to Tra Bong in Quang Ngai Province.

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In 1965, Tra Bong was an isolated outpost for Allied special forces with no road access. Members of the AATTV were flown in by Caribou cargo planes. These were known by Australians in Vietnam as 'Wallaby Airlines.' Quang Ngai was also an area with many Vietcong guerrilla units and supporters.

Kevin was an adviser with the AATTV. He worked with 5th Special Forces (A Team) alongside American advisers and Vietnamese and Montagnard soldiers. A Team's role was to carry out 'search and destroy' missions against communist Vietnamese in the surrounding countryside. The missions involved using helicopters and inserting ground forces into hostile territory, where they would attack and withdraw quickly.

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'Magnificent courage'

Kevin gained a reputation for bravery soon after arriving in Vietnam. In May 1965, he rescued a 3-year-old girl caught in crossfire. In August of the same year, he led South Vietnamese soldiers in an attack against People's Liberation Armed Forces. Amidst grenade and gunfire, their attack caused some 50 Vietcong soldiers to retreat. Kevin was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for these actions.

On 13 November 1965, Kevin was on a search-and-destroy mission with fellow Australian, Ron 'Butch' Swanton. The 2 Australians accompanied a platoon of South Vietnamese soldiers and group captain (later Major) Felix Fazekas. Their platoon was attacked by enemy snipers while sweeping through rice paddies near Binh Hoa.

Ron was shot and seriously wounded. Kevin radioed for help and evacuation. Surrounded by gun fire, Kevin began dragging Ron to cover, roughly 200 m away. By this time, it was clear that Ron was unlikely to survive. With Vietcong soldiers approaching, Kevin refused to leave Ron. An eyewitness last saw Kevin pulling the pins on his last 2 grenades. Kevin and Ron were found dead the next day, both with gunshot wounds.

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Victoria Cross citation

Group Captain Fazekas recommended Kevin for a Victoria Cross. The citation described his 'magnificent courage'.

Warrant Officer Wheatley displayed magnificent courage in the face of an overwhelming Vietcong force which was later estimated at more than a company. He had the clear choice of abandoning a wounded comrade and saving himself by escaping through the dense timber or of staying with Warrant Officer Swanton and thereby facing certain death. He deliberately chose the latter course. His acts of heroism, determination and unflinching loyalty in the face of the enemy will always stand as examples of the true meaning of valour.

[Supplement to the London Gazette No. 44198, published 13 December 1966, p 13567]

Kevin was the first Australian to be recognised with a Victoria Cross during the Vietnam War. His service was also recognised with medals awarded by the United States and South Vietnamese governments:

• US Silver Star
• National Order of the Republic of Vietnam Knight's Badge
• Military Merit Medal (Vietnam) and,
• Gallantry Cross with Palm (Vietnam).

When the announcement of Kevin's Victoria Cross was made, his wife Edna said:

I'm proud that my husband's heroism has been acknowledged in the highest possible way. But the award will never replace Kevin or what he meant to me and the kids.

[Canberra Times, 16 December 1966, p 13]

Medal for Gallantry citation

In 2024, Kevin was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for actions in Vietnam. The citation reads:

For acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances on 28 May and 18 August 1965 as an advisor and assistant advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

On 28 May 1965 during an intense battle with the enemy in the Qang Tri Province of Vietnam, Warrant Officer Wheatley demonstrated gallantry in exposing himself to enemy fire in order to save a civilian child sheltering with the Command Post. Warrant Officer Wheatley again demonstrated gallantry on 18 August 1965 when he led a charge up a slope in pursuit of the enemy whilst under attack. As a result of his courageous pursuit of the enemy, his Battalion was able to continue its assault and successfully routed the enemy at the site. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force.

[Commonwealth of Australia Government Notices Gazette, 28 October 2024]

Remembering Kevin Wheatley VC

Kevin was buried with full military honours in Pine Grove Cemetery in western Sydney.

Governor General, Lord Casey, presented Kevin's Victoria Cross to his 12-year-old son, George, at a ceremony held at Government House in 1967.

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Kevin's family donated the Victoria Cross to the Australian War Memorial in 1993, where it is on display.

On 30 November 2020, the 55th anniversary of Kevin's death, a Last Post ceremony was held at the Australian War Memorial in his honour. Attended by his family, friends and the Governor General, Kevin's story was told and wreaths laid. Kevin's son George wore replicas of his father's medal and the watch his father wore in Vietnam.

Commemorative memorials in honour of Kevin include:

• Kevin Wheatley Memorial Park and Sports Centre, Campbelltown
• Kevin Wheatley VC Memorial Wall, Campbelltown
• Keven Wheatley Rest Area, Lake George
• Hall of Heroes, Fort Bragg, United States
   

In honour of Kevin's passion for rugby, a sports stadium for Australian troops was officially opened at Vung Tau, South Vietnam, in 1970. It was named in his honour.

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